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I jerked my chin in a nod. “Yeah.”
Her sigh of relief told me everything I needed to know. She kissed the top of my head. “How about I make you a hamburger?”
I’d said yes, and the next time I needed to feed, she’d somehow located a supply of blood-wine.
Now I pressed weakly against Zaq’s chest, but he wouldn’t let me go. “Please, Ridley. You’re hurt. You need to feed.”
I retracted my fangs and raised my gaze to his face. His expression was the opposite of distaste or aversion. His brow was furrowed, his striking green eyes pleading.
The link between us was stronger than ever. His concern swamped me, like a huge wave slapping down over my head and knocking me off my feet. The air left my lungs in a whoosh.
I was still reeling when Zaq brushed my hair back from my face. A tender gesture that made my heart somersault in my chest.
“You need fresh blood,” he said. “You won’t heal without it. You were stabbed with a silver blade. I cleaned out the wound as soon as we got here, but some of the poison had already entered your bloodstream. You’ve been out for almost twenty-four hours with a high fever. You’re sick, dehydrated.”
I gulped and looked around. We were in a strange room, one I vaguely recalled seeing before.
“We’re safe?” And I was pretty sure I’d asked that before, too.
“For now. This is my loft.” Before I could object, he said, “Don’t worry, it’s okay. My staff knows I’m here, but no one knows about you except my head of security. But we can’t hide here for very long. My father’s bound to check the loft sooner or later. We need to get back out there, find out what the hell is going on, and I can’t do it without you. I need my badass.”
His lips lifted in a small, crooked grin. A grin I felt in my whole body.
“Damn you,” I muttered. He was manipulating me—I felt it through that odd, powerful link—and it was working.
“So you’ll drink.”
I blew out a breath. “Yes. Thank you.”
Now that I was fully conscious, I knew he was right. I was in bad shape—weak and feverish, my body working overtime to counter the silver’s toxic effect. I’d be useless in the event of another attack.
And there would be another attack. Too many people wanted us dead.
Karoly Kral. Crow. Maybe even Spider.
Zaq guided my mouth back to his throat. I extended my fangs and sank them into his skin.
A dark excitement surged up in me. Yes. This. Feed.
Zaq hissed like he was in pain.
I recoiled, horrified. Monster.
But not him, me.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I—”
“No, no.” His fingers clamped around the base of my skull, bringing me back. “I like it. It feels good.”
Unable to help myself, I licked the blood from his throat. “My mom…my promise.”
He caressed my nape. “Look, I know she meant well. But she was wrong. You’re not a human, you’re a dhampir. And drinking blood is necessary for us. Making you promise not to feed is like forcing a tiger to be a vegetarian. You need this, cher.”
Tears leaked from my eyes. I pulled away from him, swiped at them with my hand.
“It’s the only thing she wanted from me.” My voice wobbled.
“I know.” He laid his head on the pillow and looked into my eyes. “But she loved you. If she were here in the room right now, do you honestly believe she’d hold you to that promise?”
